Program

Page Content

The 2016 Annual Meeting is scheduled for September 11-14 in Los Angeles at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE and the L.A. Convention Center. Hosted by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority, APTA's major policy & management conference attracts public transportation leaders and managers from all sectors. Join the discussions with your colleagues to share best practices. Register early for this opportunity to network with colleagues and learn from one another.

Sessions that directly address APTA’s 2015-2019 Strategic Goals have been identified throughout the program using the following icons:

Saturday, September 10

American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF) Golf Tournament

Register Your Foursome(s) Today at www.aptfd.org! All proceeds from the tournament will further the APTF's mission to provide scholarships and engagement opportunities to deserving students and transit professionals - our future leaders.

Come take a tour of Metro’s recently completed Division 13 bus operations and maintenance facility, followed by a tour to our newest and largest bus passenger station, the El Monte Station. Both facilities are LEED Gold Certified and employ the latest and greatest in sustainable operations and construction strategies. Division 13, a 200 bus all-CNG operations and maintenance facility opened in February 2016. Learn about the design, construction, and management team that designed and built it. After touring Division 13, hop on a Metro bus east to our new El Monte Station, the largest bus station west of Chicago. After the tour, the bus will return back to your hotel.

LA Union Station, dubbed the last great American train station, is headed for some major improvements to better accommodate LA County’s rapidly growing transit system. Join Metro staff on a tour of iconic LA Union Station to witness its past, present , and future. Highlights of the tour will include historic station properties, as well as train track areas planned for future improvements as part of Metro’s Link Union Station (Link US) project to better accommodate Amtrak, Metrolink, and future high-speed rail services. The tour will also show station areas planned for development as envisioned by Metro’s Union Station Master Plan to transform the station into a 21st century, world-class transportation facility. Metro will provide transportation to this location and then back to your hotel.

Grab your broomstick and fly through the Hollywood Hills to see Metro’s brand-new construction projects at Universal City/Studio City Station and North Hollywood Station! Ride the Red Line subway to the end of the line at the North Hollywood Station. The Project Manager will take you through the North Hollywood Underpass, an underground tunnel between the Metro Orange Line Depot and the Metro Red Line Station that improves pedestrian safety, speeds transit connections and reduces traffic congestion on the street. Get back on the Red Line for the short trip to Universal City/Studio City Station to tour the Universal Pedestrian Bridge that soars more than 20 feet above Lankershim Boulevard, connecting Metro Rail and bus patrons with the Universal Studios tram stop. This iconic bridge opened in early April 2016, to coincide with the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood and improve safety for transit riders visiting the park. After the tour, you’re free to take Universal’s free tram up to CityWalk or the theme park, or catch the Red Line back to Hollywood.

Public art is incorporated into all Metro stations, weaving a multi-layered tapestry that mirrors L.A. County’s rich contemporary and popular cultures. Experience the transformative nature of art and learn how Metro Art commissions artists to create engaging and thought-provoking artworks to make the transit journey more inviting and pleasurable. Tour participants will hear how the art program strengthens Metro’s ties with the communities it serves, and adds to their distinct identity and artistic vibrancy through the creation of cultural landmarks.

LA Union Station, dubbed the last great American train station, is headed for some major improvements to better accommodate LA County’s rapidly growing transit system. Join Metro staff on a tour of iconic LA Union Station to witness its past, present ,and future. Highlights of the tour will include historic station properties, as well as train track areas planned for future improvements as part of Metro’s Link Union Station (Link US) project to better accommodate Amtrak, Metrolink, and future high-speed rail services. The tour will also show station areas planned for development as envisioned by Metro’s Union Station Master Plan to transform the station into a 21st century, world-class transportation facility. Metro will provide transportation to this location and then back to your hotel.

LA County’s rail renaissance is steadily adding 32 miles of new Metro Rail service in the next decade. Join Metro on a tour of two of the most important rail construction projects now underway: the Regional Connector Project that connects light rail lines through downtown LA, and the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project, which will connect the Metro Expo Line, LAX, and the Metro Green Line. Highlights of the bus tour include the Regional Connector's tunnel boring machine launch site at Expo/Crenshaw Station. The alignment tour will also show the future 96th Street Station that will connect the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Line to the future People Mover to be built and operated by Los Angeles World Airports. Metro will provide transportation to these various locations and then back to the hotel.

Get ready for a tour of Joint Development sites in some of LA’s most exciting, diverse and growing neighborhoods. The tour will begin at Westlake/MacArthur Park, one of the densest communities west of Chicago. It’s home to the famous Langer’s Deli and the MacArthur Park Apartments, an affordable housing project built over Metro’s subway. Next stop will be Wilshire/Vermont Station, home to a mixed-use, mixed-income housing project with a middle school built on top of the station. Situated in the compact and rapidly growing Koreatown (K-town) community, it’s a hub for millennials seeking an urban lifestyle. Last stop on the tour will hit the Hollywood Walk of Fame, The Residences at W Hollywood, the 1600 VINE apartments, and Trader Joe’s in the heart of Hollywood. After the tour, you’re free to continue your own tour of Hollywood on foot or on the Red Line.

Public art is incorporated into all Metro stations, weaving a multi-layered tapestry that mirrors LA County’s rich contemporary and popular cultures. Experience the transformative nature of art and learn how Metro Art commissions artists to create engaging and thought-provoking artworks to make the transit journey more inviting and pleasurable. Tour participants will hear how the art program strengthens Metro’s ties with the communities it serves, and adds to their distinct identity and artistic vibrancy through the creation of cultural landmarks.

Rail Transit CEOs Subcommittee

This is APTA

1 - 2:15 p.m.Plaza Room, 3rd Floor, Tower Side, JW Marriott L.A. LIVE

Getting involved, using APTA’s resources

Learn about your association and how to leverage to the fullest extent the membership benefits and resources available to you and your organization. Where do you start and how do you get involved? Come meet APTA’s leadership and staff in a relaxed atmosphere conducive to conversation and networking. A brief presentation will be followed by time for Q&A with seasoned member representatives who can share their advice ideas for your membership satisfaction.

State Affairs Committee

Operations Control Centers Technical Forum

2:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Chair, Bart Kane

Participants should meet at 2:05 p.m. in Georgia Room 1, 3rd Floor, Tower Side, in the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE where they will walk as a group to the Blue Line Pico Station and take the train to Metro's Rail Operations Control Center (ROC).

Those participants coming directly from LAX should note that the ROC can be accessed via free shuttle bus to the Green Line’s Aviation/LAX Station.

The meeting and tour will begin at 2:30 p.m. at Metro’s ROC (2000 E. Imperial Hwy, Los Angeles, CA 90059), which is adjacent to Willowbrook / Rosa Parks Station at the junction of the Metro Rail Blue and Green Lines.

Participants will then use Metro Rail to go to the Metro HQ building at Union Station (1 Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012), arriving at about 4 p.m., for a tour of the Bus Operations Control Center followed by a presentation at Metro.

Rail Transit Committee

A Conversation for Transit Board Members with APTA Leadership & Executive Staff

3 - 3:30 p.m.Plaza Room, 3rd Floor, Tower Side, JW Marriott L.A. LIVE

Hear from APTA leadership and executive staff as they share a dynamic welcome message designed exclusively for transit agency board members. Learn more about APTA’s member resources available to you and meet your peers from around the country over refreshments.

GENERAL SESSION: Your Brain is Good at Inclusion...Except When It's Not

This presentation examines diversity and inclusion from the frameworks of human behavior and cognitive neuroscience. It makes the case that “diversity” (i.e., human differences) is really not the problem. Rather, the real issue is closed-mindedness, or the hard-wired bias to be cautious and skeptical about people, places, and things with which we are unfamiliar.

Using the fields of cognitive neuroscience, socio-psychology, and communication (among others), Dr. Robbins explores the human need to be recognized, valued, and included – and what happens when that need is not met. He demonstrates how our brain views the world from an “insider vs. outsider” lens and how that can lead to the exclusion of others (and their ideas). He examines the concept of “noise” and how noisy mental models can lead to unconscious bias, unintentional intolerance, less productivity, and a negative impact on creativity and innovation.

Dr. Robbins ultimately makes the case, from a brain perspective, for how enhancing inclusion and creating environments where people feel valued are essential for optimizing individual and organizational performance. He brings this science-based content neatly packaged in real world relevance with a good dose of storytelling and laugh-out-loud humor.

Ideas you’ll come away with include:

• A better understanding of the work of diversity and inclusion from the perspectives of human behavior and cognitive neuroscience• An understanding of how the brain’s natural functioning can lead to unconscious bias and prevent us from leveraging human differences• A better understanding of how “diversity issues” are fundamentally about “insiderness” and “ outsiderness”• An understanding of how “noise” can impact how we see and judge others• A deeper commitment and simple, yet powerful actions to address issues of inclusion and diversity.

A powerful storyteller with a powerful story to tell, Dr. Steve L. Robbins has an uncanny ability to inspire people even in the midst of disrupting and challenging the way they think about the world. Born in Vietnam, Dr. Robbins immigrated with his mother to the United States where they faced many challenges during a time when there was much anti-war and anti-Vietnamese sentiment. Working through and rising out of the challenges of poverty, discrimination and the tough streets of Los Angeles, Dr. Robbins now brings insightful perspectives on issues of leadership, inclusion & innovation, and the power of caring. Drawing upon a compelling life journey, his talks and workshops are filled with intriguing stories, laugh-out-loud humor and a keen understanding of human behavior.

Dr. Robbins uniquely knows how to simultaneously challenge and motivate people with a dynamic use of storytelling, humor and extensive knowledge of pertinent issues and concepts. The inclusive power of his message are why organizations like NASA, Caterpillar, Disney, Boeing, Paypal, Microsoft, Gap Inc., Michelin, McDonald’s, HSBC Bank, Toyota, WestJet, Northrop Grumman, Kraft Foods, Transamerica, Autozone, AMC Theatres, The National Guard, Department of the Treasury, US Navy, Marathon Oil, and numerous others call on Dr. Robbins to inspire, educate and prepare their people for the exciting challenges of a 21st century world.

A thought leader and innovator, Dr. Robbins' unique concept of "Unintentional Intolerance" has captured wide acclaim from numerous audiences and organizations across the United States. His approach does NOT blame or point fingers. It uses neuroscience and the science of human behavior to challenge individuals and organizations to be more open-minded, mindful and intentional about inclusion and valuing people for their unique gifts, abilities and experiences.

His recently released “anti-training training” video training series called “What If? Factory” is already being heralded as a groundbreaking approach in corporate training. He describes its “laugh and learn” style as a mix of Saturday Night Love, Bill Nye the Science Guy and Big Bang Theory. His book, “What If? Short Stories to Spark Diversity Dialogue,” is used by numerous organizations and schools to invite people into deeper conversations about diversity, inclusion and the power of caring.

Dr. Robbins earned an undergraduate degree in Communication from Calvin College, and his masters and doctorate in Communication Science from Michigan State University. His background in communication, socio-psychology and cognitive neuroscience drive his work with individuals and organizations – the core of the work is about understanding human behavior and leveraging human differences in an ever-changing, dynamic world.

This session examines an often overlooked and misunderstood attribute – one that when practiced and mastered can lead to better interpersonal and organizational outcomes. This attribute, “open-mindedness,” is the ability (and willingness) to step out of one’s comfort zones and entertain multiple and sometimes dissonant ideas and perspectives. The opposite of open-mindedness ― closed or narrow-mindedness ― is the real problem we face when addressing issues of diversity and inclusion. In his presentation, Dr. Robbins illustrates how human beings have a great tendency to be closed-minded as a natural function of the brain. Using the fields of cognitive neuroscience, cognitive and socio-psychology, and communication (among others), Dr. Robbins shows how we tend to be closed or narrow-minded, and how that prevents us from truly understanding others and minimizes our ability to solve difficult problems. He will also show how we can become better at being open-minded, and how an open-minded and mindful approach to life, whether at work or home, can pay huge dividends as we navigate a 21st century world filled with many different perspectives, values and beliefs.

Participate in this session to:

• Understand why and how we tend to be closed or narrow-minded from a science perspective• Explore the benefits of open-mindedness as an inclusion and organizational performance issue• Develop and engage in strategies and techniques that will lead to more open-mindedness and subsequently greater inclusion and organizational performance.

Challenges of 21st Century Transit Policing

Recent law enforcement interactions with their community highlight the need for proactive community based policing. Unfortunately, this style of policing cannot prevent shootings and attacks from occurring in an uncertain world where Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter grievances present difficult challenges. Transit police are partnering with local law enforcement to protect our citizens both on and around transit property as a security force multiplier for special events, marches and incidents. This session emphasizes the need for executive leadership to continually support security & policing efforts within their agency as the threat environment rapidly changes. It will also identify federal security support and programs that transit agencies can utilize to bolster their security program and protect their employees and customers.

Complete Streets and Complete Trip

Strengthening connections, access, and amenities, and system performance

A rider’s trip doesn’t begin or end with the transit ride, but rather when they leave their origin to walk to the stop and when they get off at their stop and walk to their destination. Not only does the experience on the transit vehicle matter, but the journey to it is just as important. Transit agencies are making significant investments in projects that create amenities along transit corridors to improve the rider’s experience to and from the transit stops and stations. Because these investments extend beyond the transit stop, agencies are meeting their goals to maintain and increase ridership as well as improving safety and access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.

Join this session to learn how transit agencies and their partners are implementing complete streets policies that focus on the complete trip, not just moving vehicles, and how these policies can promote safe walking, biking, and transit use.

Smart Cities: Reimagining Transportation

A round-table discussion of how forces such as big data, technology, new startups, and innovation are changing the ways cities operate

Transportation agencies, municipalities, and businesses are creating vastly improved services, using communications and information technology to connect people to one another and their communities. Come hear from the transit CEO representing the winner of USDOT’s Smart City Challenge, the DOT commissioner in America’s largest city, and other leaders. Join the discussion about integrating intelligent technologies to manage assets, improve quality of life, and create new urban transportation that generates jobs, improves neighborhoods, and creates a greener life for everyone.

The Procurement Super Session!

The time has come to finally execute this repeated request from past session audiences. A panel of procurement experts, with more than a hundred years of industry experience, will take questions from the audience. Is your organization facing a complex procurement scenario? Are you just starting out and need some professional assistance? Don’t’ know where to find an answer to a procurement question? Do you feel like your career is at risk because of a high profile procurement? This is a wonderful opportunity to hear how some very seasoned and respected procurement officials have successfully navigated through tough situations that you may be facing.

Trend-Setting Initiatives: California on the Move

California has been a springboard for a wealth of new and potentially trend setting ideas. The California high-speed rail project, under construction, is the largest infrastructure project in the country. These and other projects are rooted in a federal-state-local partnership wherein all partners step up to shoulder the effort. This session will delve into several showcase topics, offering specific take-always from our visit to this region.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES SHOWCASE

Many business members’ Products and services are showcased at the 2016 Products & Services Showcase. Registrants can view the products and obtain information relating to the products and services on display. Expert personnel are on hand to answer your questions as you inspect what’s new and innovative in the world of public transportation equipment and services.

GENERAL SESSION: A Conversation with the FTA Leadership

For this dynamic, interactive session with the FTA’s senior leadership team, please bring your questions. The conversation may touch on the FTA’s safety role, the USDOT’s new Build America Bureau, the Capital Investment Grant Program, state of good repair and transit asset management, FTA’s Mobility on Demand Sandbox, and other topics you would like to discuss.

AdWheel Awards Ceremony

Honoring top marketing and communications campaigns where you will also learn from some of the best communicators in the industry, as they detail their successful campaigns and the strategic importance of marketing and communications in public transportation.

Join in the excitement as we salute the Grand Award winners in the 37th Annual AdWheel Awards competition honoring the best in public transportation marketing and communications. Grand Awards will be presented in three categories: ​Best Campaign to Increase Ridership or Sales; Best Campaign to Highlight Transit Needs/Funding; and Best Educational Campaign. New for 2016 are informative panel discussions with top leaders from the eleven Grand Award winners.

Early Career Program Graduation

After a year-long program of workshops, briefings, webinars, and industry mentoring, the Early Career Program Class of 2016 will graduate. Join us in listening to their reflections on their past year. Highlights of the Early Career Program class projects will also be presented.

Come congratulate this class on their initiative, drive, talents, and in graduating. This is the third class to graduate from the Early Career Program. We wish them much success as they move on to bright careers in public transportation.

First and Last Mile Planning and Solutions

Convenient access to transit is fast becoming the top criterion in deciding where to live, work, and play. Transit agencies across the country are implementing new approaches to access stops in order to solve the first and last mile problem and extend the reach of transit to more customers.

Join this session to hear examples of what the transit agency’s role should be among new mobility providers, how to coordinate with local jurisdictions to close transit access gaps, and how to integrate new technologies and identify the safest routes to access transit.

Integrating Innovation into Your Organization

Get an inside view from officials who work across organizational silos to chart new directions for agencies and businesses. Gain a greater understanding of their focus on radical or breakthrough innovation, creating strategies, business opportunities, new technologies, new capabilities, new business models, and new industry structures.

State of Good Repair, Transit Asset Management – Prioritize for Quality Service

In 2013, the Federal Transit Administration estimated that more than 40 percent of buses and 25 percent of rail transit assets were in marginal or poor condition. Estimates from the National State of Good Repair Assessment identified an $86 billion backlog in deferred maintenance and replacement needs, a backlog that continues to grow. While the challenge is great, transit performance management practices provide an opportunity for agencies to better communicate their transit asset management needs to state and regional entities and receive the funding necessary to address state of good repair challenges. Under MAP-21, Federal Transit Administration grantees must develop performance measures around transit asset management and a Transit Asset Management Plan to bring systems into a state of good repair. Hear from these speakers as they discuss the challenges associated with bringing systems into a state of good repair and meeting recently released federal requirements.

Transforming Lives and Communities: The Power of Transportation Investment

JOBS, economic development, and equitable and shared prosperity for underutilized and underserved communities have become growing considerations in the planning and implementation of transportation projects. Greater resiliency, more sustainable communities, and adherence to triple-bottom-line outcomes are ultimate goals. Join leaders from transit agencies, labor, business, philanthropy, and community-based organizations as they share their perspectives and “real-world” experience on how transportation investment can be a catalyst for growth, access and transformation for the 21st century and beyond.

Public and private sector transit organizations and academic institutions join forces to showcase their workforce development programs, practices and partnerships. These industry leaders will promote stories and examples that address collaborative partnerships, innovative programs, and industry research. Engage in conversations that highlight core principles in developing high quality programs. Learn about new models used to leverage massive amounts of knowledge and experience before it walks out the door. Benefit from numerous case studies in career ladder programs, the complexities of labor relations, overcoming the risks in launching programs for underserved populations, and connecting front-line workforce needs and academic partnerships.

Young Professionals in Transportation Networking Event

Please join us at this happy hour co-sponsored by APTA and the LA Chapter of the Young Professionals in Transportation. The event is an opportunity for young professionals of all ages to interact and network with other colleagues in the industry and to share innovative ideas.

Please join the APTF Board of Directors, 2016 APTF Scholarship Recipients, sponsors, and friends of the foundation at a fundraising reception to celebrate the 2016 Scholars.

Remember to bring a gift for the foundation. All donations will directly benefit the APTF and help us to provide scholarships and engagement opportunities to the future leaders of the transit industry.

Known for their independence in political ideology and willingness to move beyond the frame of right versus left, Paul Begala and Mike Murphy will dissect the issues of the day, including an up-to-the-minute analysis of politics in America and the upcoming Presidential election.

Sponsored by APTA Business Member Activity Fund

Paul Begala is a commentator for CNN, where he is part of the political team that won both an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award. In the 2012 campaign, he was a senior adviser for the pro-Obama Super PAC, making Begala one of the few people to play a critical role in electing two different presidents. After helping engineer Bill Clinton's presidential campaign with his partner, James Carville, Begala served as counselor to the President, one of Clinton's closest aides. He has consulted for political campaigns across the country and around the world, including advising politicians in Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. Former President Bill Clinton described his longtime friend and former aide as, "a witty dynamo from Sugar Land, Texas...who brought energy, focus and credibility to our efforts." He helped his friend John F. Kennedy, Jr. launch the political magazine George and wrote the "Capitol Hillbilly" column. He has authored several New York Times best-selling political books. Begala is an affiliated professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University. He taught at the University of Texas and the University of Georgia. Along with James Carville and GOP strategist Karl Rove, he was a recently inducted into the American Association of Political Consultants' Hall of Fame. Begala received his bachelor's degree in Government and his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was the student body president.

Mike Murphy is one of the Republican Party’s most successful political media consultants, having handled strategy and advertising for more than 26 successful gubernatorial and Senatorial campaigns. Murphy has been called a “media master” by FORTUNE magazine, the GOP’s “hottest media consultant” by Newsweek and the leader of a “new breed” of campaign consultants by Congressional Quarterly. Murphy served as senior strategist for both John McCain’s first campaign for President in 2000 and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s historic election as Governor of California. He has served as political consultant to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush since 1998, and as advisor to political leaders in several foreign countries an well as a dozen U.S. Senators and Governors. He also advises several Fortune 500 companies and many trade associations. Murphy frequently writes a column for TIME magazine as well as providing regular commentary on the Meet the Press roundtable. Murphy was born in Detroit, Michigan and attended the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is a non-resident fellow at Harvard University's JFK School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and is a Fellow at the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics. Murphy also works as a writer/producer in the entertainment industry.

How do we keep up with the rapidly changing demographics in our urban areas as baby boomers and millennials find it more desirable to live in the urban core of our cities, yet maintain service equity for the transit dependent and low income riders? The unintended consequences of gentrification is making it more challenging to provide cost- effective service to transit dependent groups that are being pushed further out from the urban core in order to find affordable housing.

How Board Governance Models Impact Strategic and Capital Planning

This panel will discuss the variety of transit board governance models throughout the industry and how they impact the planning and prioritization of the agency. Hear from leaders at agencies that are statewide appointments with a fixed timeline, local elected board members and county models that are multi-modal or multi-jurisdictional. Learn how boards balance capital planning considerations based on constituency needs, competing local and regional interests, and political environments.

Leading the Way: Small Operations Best Practices and Innovative Solutions

Learn more about the “how to” in developing and managing your diverse initiatives.

Building upon the highly successful small operations’ sessions at the APTA conferences and meetings, this session focuses on new programs, ideas, and innovative solutions to transit’s challenges and opportunities. Your peers will showcase the successes, lessons learned, and “how-to" approach in embarking on new initiatives and programs.

Mega Projects Worldwide

Many of the largest infrastructure projects in the world are public transportation projects. The projects highlighted in this session will help transform their communities, bolster regional economies, and serve future generations. Speakers will describe the scope of these projects, identify their goals, provide updates on project status, describe how project issues have been addressed, and discuss how the projects are financed.

On the Right Path: Transit/Bike Partnerships Round Table

With a new emphasis on non-motorized access to transit station stops and facilities, forging transit/bike partnerships can help solve the “first mile” and “last mile” issues. Across the country in cities large and small, bike share programs are being planned and implemented as part of a multimodal regional system. Securing funds to grow, design, and operate the system has become increasingly important. Hear various perspectives from transit agencies, a bike share manufacturer, and a bike share operator on collaborative efforts to bring new mobility options to communities, designing programs to avoid potential conflicts, and the importance of reexamining the definition of the shared ride to include bike share as a transit mode.

Public Transportation "Pitch" Session

APTA invites young transportation professionals and local graduate students from transportation-related programs for an opportunity to promote enlightened “pitches” on innovation and technology. Speakers will have 5-7 minutes each to teach, inspire, and present a new idea before a panel of judges. This is public transportation’s version of the critically-acclaimed, business-themed show, “Shark Tank.”

Why Design Matters for Transit

Promoting the importance of design in the success of a transit project

A transit environment in which attention to detail, material choices, and a high level of craftsmanship convey respect for those who use the system and can contribute to mode pride. Transit agencies that value ridership, cost-effectiveness, and other benefits of good design recognize the contributions that design excellence makes toward these goals.

Speakers in this session will explore best practices on transit facility design as well as how investment in design supports community efforts while growing ridership.

APTA AWARDS CEREMONY & LUNCHEON

All Annual Meeting registrants are invited to attend the APTA Awards Ceremony and luncheon to honor this year’s recipients. The APTA Awards will be presented in the following categories: Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award, Outstanding Public Transportation Manager Award, Outstanding Public Transportation Business Member Award, Outstanding Public Transportation Board Member Award, National Distinguished Service Award, Innovation Award, and Hall of Fame Award.

ADA: Improving Transportation Access for Persons with Disabilities

Join team members from Los Angeles Metro and Access Services, LA’s ADA paratransit provider, as they discuss many of the innovations and improvements made to bus and rail service in Los Angeles to make the service more accessible to persons with disabilities and how they are meeting and exceeding the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Access Services will also discuss Los Angeles’ approach to managing in-person paratransit eligibility evaluations for multiple paratransit applicants every month, as well as the initial results of a nationwide paratransit eligibility survey that is currently underway.

FTA's Enhanced Compliance Training and Technical Assistance Program

Contribute to new program’s priorities, advise on making the program more valuable and accessible

This session will provide a prime opportunity for transit industry stakeholders to provide feedback on FTA’s Office of Program Oversight’s compliance-focused grantee training and technical assistance offerings. This information-sharing session will cover the types of technical assistance currently available through FTA program oversight and provide an initial preview of how FTA intends to re-structure this program. Session attendees will be invited to recommend program oversight compliance training priorities and ways to make technical assistance more accessible and more valuable for grantees, as well as brainstorm with FTA presenters on the opportunities and benefits more robust compliance training and technical assistance can offer the transit industry.

Advancing Transit: Perspectives on Multimodal Long Range and Strategic Planning

Under MAP-21 and reinforced in FAST Act, transit plays an important role in the development of a robust regional multimodal transportation plan. With the introduction of Performance-based Planning and Programming (PBPP) at the regional level, transit agencies now have the opportunity to shape planning and programming processes to achieve desired outcomes for a truly sustainable multimodal transportation system. This collaborative performance-based approach to planning and programming attempts to ensure that transportation decisions are made - both long-term and short-term - based on their ability to meet established goals. Hear the latest information on the recent rule on metropolitan and state wide transportation planning and how practitioners from around the country are advancing collaborative decision making to build integrated transportation systems.

Creating Communities through Station Design & TOD Round Table

3 - 5 p.m.Plaza Room, 3rd Floor, Tower Side, JW Marriott L.A. LIVE

Learn how TOD and station design support and encourage development.

Transit agencies continue to evolve their approach to transit-oriented development. TOD efforts are increasingly expected to deliver affordable housing, support community and economic development, and grow ridership. A key component of a successful transit-oriented development is how well a transit station is integrated within the surrounding community.

Speakers will explore how transit-oriented developments transform communities while maintaining equity, as well as how the transit station itself provides a foundation for growth and facilitates development.

Creative Funding & Finance Approaches with Public and Private Partners

Investment and project delivery strategies to advance public transportation and infrastructure

Transit agencies are continuously challenged to find the resources needed to build and operate the transit systems necessary to serve their regions. This session will highlight new approaches for funding and financing, as are being implemented across the continent by transit agencies and their private sector partners. Organized in two parts, this session will probe a wide range of solutions that are working, including ways to generate revenue through increased ridership, ways to attract low-cost capital, and ways to generate funding though real estate holdings and transit ballot measures.

Mobility & Technology

There are a number of new technologies that have come on to the stage and transformed our industry. This means customers have more choices than ever and are better able to complete their trips more efficiently. As technology and innovation progress, how do you choose the right technologies to complement your system? Join this session to hear speakers share which new innovations to champion, how to leverage new technologies to improve mobility for customers, and how to prepare and plan for future changes to the industry.

Leadership APTA: Celebrating Tomorrow's Executive Leaders

You are invited to mark the accomplishments and industry contributions of the Leadership APTA Class of 2016 by hearing their executive project presentations and witnessing their graduation ceremonies. Beginning last fall, class members participated in workshops, professional development forums, APTA meetings and events, site visits, executive round-table sessions with industry leaders, and online sessions. They met with executive transit industry leaders, university faculty, and other experts to refine their leadership skills, discuss a wide range of industry challenges, and leverage these experiences to become tomorrow’s senior and executive leaders. This session will also introduce the incoming Class of 2017. A celebratory reception will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Presiding OfficerLeadership APTA Program Year Highlights & Class Member Recognitions

American Public Transportation Foundation Scholarship Awards – Building Leaders for the Future

Learn how the industry is giving back by investing in scholars and transit professionals – the future of public transportation.

As public transportation’s workforce continues to evolve, the American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF) is actively working to engage and retain the next generation of leaders. Join us as we celebrate the 2016 APTF scholarship recipients, and hear about how our industry attracts and supports the workforce needed to lead transit into the future. How does your organization attract students and transit professionals to a career in public transportation? The 2016 scholars will share their perspectives.

Leadership APTA Reception

Join past, present, and future members of Leadership APTA classes and learn about alumni experiences in the program and what Leadership APTA has meant to their careers in public transportation. Share refreshments and good company as you reconnect with friends and get to know the next generation of leaders within the public transportation industry and APTA.

Sponsored by AECOM, HNTB Corporation and SYSTRA Consulting Inc.

LGBT Professionals in Transportation

APTA's LGBT Task Force invites you to join them at a happy hour to celebrate diversity in our industry. LGBT professionals and their allies are encouraged to join their colleagues at this first of its kind celebration at an APTA conference.

WEDNESDAY WAKE UP BREAKFAST: "Boots on the Ground, Flats in the Boardroom"

Join this breakfast session to hear women whose compelling leadership stories are featured in this Boots on the Ground book authored by Grace Crunican and Liz Levin. Witness their perseverance, preparation, and choices. Learn from their journeys and professional careers. These stories have staying power for everyone. These inspiring stories of transportation visionaries and implementers – seers and doers – will motivate the next generation.

Getting to Innovation with Technology

Technological innovations are developing at an exponential rate filtering into lives and into the transit market with new developments in social media, trip planning, fare collection, transportation network providers, and perhaps soon even autonomous cars. As part of APTA’s overall strategic goals, we have sought as the industry leader to be at the forefront of this wave. However, the transit industry has been challenged by these new technologies, not by their ubiquitous availability but rather transit’s ability to innovate and adapt to this new environment. In this session, we will take a brief look into the challenges we have as an industry to innovate, some of the success stories of both our innovations and that of other industries, and finally review the recommendations of the special working group appointed by the APTA Board of Directors on “Getting to Innovation with Technology.”

High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail

Passenger rail projects continue to evolve and move forward in regions across the United States. This session will focus on the latest efforts in California and the U.S., as well as new developments in the National Cooperative Railroad Research Program.

Strategies for Integrated Mobility Management

Explore new approaches to promote customer-centered mobility strategies for all transit users

Today’s riders expect public transit agencies to deliver a more convenient and personal travel experience. Doing so requires operators to cultivate a broader view of partners, and embrace their role as a provider of customer-focused outcomes in addition to a bus or a train trip. And while these new transportation partnerships and models offer convenience and ease of use for the customer, one of the most exciting opportunities that accompany these new approaches to transportation is in their potential to meet the needs of customers of all abilities.

Join this session to hear panelists identify ways to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of transit through partnerships with new mobility services that improve access to transit for all riders.

Sustainability and Resiliency in Action

Prepare for the future while improving quality of life and operating expenses now

Sustainable and resilient practices offer transit agencies the opportunity to responsibly manage their facilities and reduce expenses while maintaining levels of service and improving their standing as good community and environmental stewards. Hear from these panelists as they discuss resilience plans and design features to realize increased efficiencies and environmentally-responsible practices at their agencies and in the broader community. In addition, hear about practices that improve the resilience of transit systems and their responsiveness to the extreme weather events to come.

Title VI, Environmental Justice, and Social Equity in Transit

The American economy and quality of life depends on public transportation to connect communities with employment, education, healthcare, and other essential services. Through federal programs and other agency initiatives, the industry is proactively working to expand economic opportunity, socioeconomic mobility, and community health while limiting further disparate impact. Hear from these industry leaders as they discuss policy initiatives and decision-making tools that realize these goals, ranging from reduced-fare programs to tools that inform the Title VI and Environmental Justice analysis and engagement processes.

Understanding the Complexities of a Comprehensive Payment System Serving the 21st Century

Today’s transition to an updated electronic payment system, serving not only traditional public transit fare collection requirements but also accommodating multi-party ridesharing services and non-transportation transactions is a multifaceted endeavor requiring dissection, identification, and processing of layers of interconnected operational, financial, security, public, and overall organizational considerations. What is difficult to even state, is yet harder to accomplish. If an agency wants to achieve a comprehensive set of functionality, incorporating best of class vendors for backend systems, mobile ticketing and payment, and retail merchant distribution platforms, the agency will find there is no vendor currently capable of delivering a single source solution. This session will help attendees understand the level of effort required and the planning necessary to move into the “now” world of collecting transit fares and other payments associated with the broad range of new services the rider expects the agency to provide in the near future.

FTA's Federal Safety Update

This briefing is intended for audiences interested in learning more about FTA’s progress implementing its 21st Century Public Transit Safety Program. The session will cover the role of employee safety reporting in an effective safety management system; how State Safety Oversight Agencies are transitioning to a new safety rule and what that means for rail transit agencies; how the FTA Bus Safety Program Review process assists agencies with their safety, security, and emergency preparedness infrastructure and provides targeted technical assistance to support safety program improvement, and safety actions FTA is pursuing as required by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.

TECHNICAL TOURS

9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sign up on site at the host information desk for the tour of your choice. Tour participants should gather in Georgia 1, 3rd, Floor, Tower Side, in the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE at the tour start time shown below.

Positive Train Control (PTC), along with Crash Energy Management (CEM) technology and new Tier 4 locomotives, are life-saving and emissions-reduction initiatives implemented by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink) to make travel by rail even safer and cleaner. These innovations and Metrolink CEM equipment will be on display at Los Angeles Union Station for this technical tour. Sit at the controls of a locomotive simulator using PTC predictive collision avoidance technology, and then tour the rail cars using CEM technology, including redesigned seats and work tables, and advanced energy absorbtion zones at each end of the cars. Tour participants will have the opportunity to interact with Metrolink staff responsible for the implementation of these key safety enhancements and initiatives. Metrolink is proud to be the first commuter rail agency to enable PTC on all rail lines by 2015.

Los Angeles County Transportation network connects to the nation’s largest seaport complex – the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Join Metro and Long Beach Transit on a ride of its Blue Line to Long Beach for a boat tour of these two highly important ports – where over 40% of the international goods are received and then distributed throughout the United States.

Zero emission buses to harbor-jetting boats – it’s just another day in Long Beach. Join Long Beach Transit staff on a tour of Long Beach’s electric downtown and coastline via LBT’s battery-electric bus fleet and AquaLink water taxis. The tour will focus on innovative bus technology and partnerships associated with LBT’s water taxi system, all of which contribute to the economic success of the city by attracting tourists and conventioneers. Highlights of the tour include brief bus stops at the world-class Aquarium of the Pacific and the internationally-acclaimed Queen Mary. The AquaLink will then cruise along the nine-mile Long Beach coast, providing participants with stunning and unique views of the city.

Witness a real-life example of an urban industrial area transitioning into a vibrant transit-oriented community directly on a Metro division property in LA’s Arts District. Metro Division 20, one of the oldest divisions on the Metro system, serves as the primary maintenance and storage yard for the Red Line heavy rail train cars. The property is also home to a brand new One Santa Fe mixed-use development made possible by Metro’s Joint Development Program. Join Metro staff on a dual division/development tour that includes views of the rail yard control tower, train wash, and repair shop, as well as views of the One Santa Fe development that contains apartment housing, retail, and modern Metro office and training space. Metro will provide transportation to this location and then back to the hotel.

Metro’s brand new $265 million Gold Line operations campus in Monrovia is state-of-the-art, featuring 24 acres of facilities designed to house up to 84 light rail vehicles. The facility was built as part of the 12-mile Metro Gold Line Extension to Azusa. Join Metro staff on a tour of the campus. Highlights include the three-story, 132,000 square-foot main shop building, training facilities for employees, yard control room, and repair and maintenance shops for light rail vehicles. The tour will also demonstrate the facility’s green features, which include a 178.5 Kilowatt on-site solar panel array, storm water management system, and other amenities. Metro will provide transportation to this location and then back to the hotel.

CLOSING GENERAL SESSION: Transformational Leadership Throughout the Organization

A great organization needs great leadership at all levels. This stimulating, closing session will show leaders like you (from supervisors to CEOs) how to engage, empower, and energize employees to conquer challenges and achieve goals on your journey to greatness. A distinguished panel of global, transit leaders will share the strategies, tactics, and processes they have used to transform their organizations. By staying to the better end, you will learn how to:

• Manage critical projects without micromanaging people• Meet the competing needs of your many diverse stakeholders• Overcome resistance to change by gaining commitment, not mere compliance• Encourage your team to have ‘a good fight’• Communicate more and broadcast less• Bulldoze the internal silos and create cross-functional collaboration• Modernize your infrastructure as you transform your culture

Leadership can be defined as “the process of unleashing the energy of others toward worthy goals.” Learn how to unleash the energy of your team from transit leaders who have been there and done that… at all levels. Don’t you dare leave the conference early. Stay to this better end.

FTA WORKSHOP: State of Good Repair/Transit Asset Management

Key Federal Transit Administration staff will discuss the final rule on Transit Asset Management that requires agencies to develop transit asset management plans, defines state of good repair, and establishes a framework for developing performance measures to bring systems into a state of good repair.

FEE: The workshop is available to all Annual Meeting registrants at no additional charge.

REGISTRATION:Pre-registration is required. On-site registration will be on a space-available basis.

FTA WORKSHOP: Capital Investment Grants Program

Key Federal Transit Administration staff will discuss the Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program including recent changes made in the FAST Act and the details of the Final Interim Policy Guidance published in August 2015. An overview of FY16 CIG appropriations and the FY17 CIG budget recommendations will also be provided. Additionally, the workshop will include a discussion of trends being seen in the CIG program.

Some of the topics include:

• New and Small Starts• Core Capacity• Warrants (qualifying for automatic ratings)• Program of Interrelated Projects• Expedited Delivery Pilot Program• Transit Oriented Development Pilot Program

FEE: The workshop is available to all Annual Meeting registrants at no additional charge.

REGISTRATION: Pre-registration is required. On-site registration will be on a space-available basis.